10 Ways to make recycling easy

We All know how important recycling has become, especially in recent years. It’s also very easy to forget to do it. If you find recycling can be a chore you’d rather avoid, why not try our 10 ways to make recycling easy?

1. Get your recycling game organised

Most people struggle to stay on top of their bins and will let them overflow- because who enjoys changing a bin? I think it’s safe to say many of us have let recyclables pile up on the kitchen side too! So make it a priority. Get organised by setting a routine in your household to maintain the recycling jobs. This is a great way to get the kids involved too, even the little ones can help with sorting plastic and cardboard.

If you run a business look into a waste management solution to help you manage your waste responsibly and easily

2. One touch recycling policy

If you are finding yourself battling the packaging and cardboard that our food comes in, set yourself a goal of only touching things once. Now we don’t mean literally once as this just isn’t possible but instead of setting something aside that is destined for the waste bins, put it there straight away. This technique is a great way of staying on top of clutter and means that your recyclable will end up in the right place from the offset.

3. Get crafty with Recyclables

Recycling doesn’t have to be boring, use your excess waste to spark your imagination and get the kids involved. If you have young children, why not turn an old cardboard delivery box into a fort, or some kitchen roll cardboard into bracelets? Recycling doesn’t just mean throwing away a carton, it could be creating a few hours of fun.

One man’s waste is another one’s treasure! And when it comes to recycling the options are endless. Be creative with your waste and transform an empty wine bottle into a chic vase. Painting a mixture of bicarb or sand, and paint will create a unique vase with a coastal effect. Or use plastic bottles to create birdfeeders for the garden, there are lots of tutorials and ideas online so finding a way to upcycle waste will be easy.

4. Make simple packaging swaps

If you find that your glass and plastic bins are constantly filling up, then maybe consider what it is you’re putting in them. Glass bottles are much more sustainable than plastic ones and should be reused where possible. If you’re a fan of jam, why not keep the jars and use them for making your own? Or, if you’re fortunate enough to live near a zero-waste shop, use your glass items for refills of your essentials.

5. Donate to charity

Recycling doesn’t just mean sorting your cardboard from glass, it could also mean having a clearout. Every year thousands of clothes get thrown into landfill. To avoid this, take a bag down to your local charity shop, or donate them to friends and family. This way you’re not only tidying up but also supporting well-deserved causes.

6. Sell what you can

Another simple way to recycle your items is by selling them. See if there’s a local boot fair near you, or if you’d prefer to sell them online, there are some amazing spaces where you can sell your unwanted items, Vinted and eBay are great for selling unwanted clothes, toys and even homeware items so it’s worth checking this out.

7. Understand what can be recycled

One of the easiest ways to make recycling easier is by understanding what it is you’re putting in your bins. Nowadays if you’re unsure about how to recycle an item, the packaging will often give you some help with clear instructions. To make it easier for everyone in the home to recycle correctly, you could draw up a table together with pictures of which waste goes where.

8. Make compost

Food waste can leave your bin smelling and attracting flies. If you have a garden, however, why not invest in a compost bin and reuse your leftovers to benefit your soil? This waste would otherwise be discarded in a large landfill, causing an incredible amount of carbon dioxide and methane to pollute the air. If everyone in the United States composted, it would be equivalent to removing 7.8 million cars from the road. So next time you go to throw your food waste in the bin, consider turning it into compost.

9. Repair what you can

In a world where we can order something new at the click of a button, as a society we throw away items far too easily. Instead of seeing how a broken item could be fixed, it’s in the bin ready to be collected by the bin men. Often fixing something will cost less than buying a whole new item, which is saving you money and preventing your once broken item from becoming landfill.

10. Go paperless

If you’re a business owner and have cabinets full of paper that you have to keep to follow the protocol, go paperless. By having a digitally organised system you can still keep all records, but on a device. This option will not only save you money from hiring a storage locker, and office space, but will also be helping save the environment. To create a single piece of A4 paper, up to 20 litres of water are used in production. Using your paper more wisely will also massively reduce your water footprint.

For more waste management advice get in touch with a member of our team today. We can even help to arrange a house clearance for you, all of the waste we collect is recycled so get in touch for more information or to book a collection.

Or check out our other articles for more recycling tips for homes and businesses.